A Dream Come True: Five-Year-Old Batkid Saves Gotham City

A better turn out than the Giant’s Parade. San Francisco turns Union Square into Gotham City to make one little boy’s dream come true. (Photo by Nicholas Welsh)

San Francisco’s Chief of Police hopes that one day Mayor Ed Lee will praise him the way he praised Miles Scott, the five-year-old cancer survivor who saved San Francisco/Gotham City from terrible criminals last Friday. Police Commissioner Greg Suhr, acting as Commissioner Gordon, was one of many Batman characters present for the day of elaborate festivities in which young Miles’ biggest wish — to be Batman — became a reality. Miles, who thought he was just picking out a Batman costume to play around the house, ended up spending the day riding around in a tricked out Lamborghini “Batmobile” and fighting crimes committed by the Riddler and the Penguin.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation organized the event, which they say drew around 10,000 people to the streets of “Gotham City” to watch Miles rescue a damsel in distress, stop a bank robbery, and save Giants’ mascot Lou Seal from a terrible fate. A flash mob in Union Square to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” helped direct the Batkid, who was accompanied by his sidekick Robin (his little brother) and an adult Batman (acrobat/inventor Eric Johnson) to the scene of a crime. After defeating the mischievous criminals, Miles brought them to City Hall. The Riddler and the Penguin were indicted by members of the San Francisco branch of the U.S. Attorneys’ Office and FBI, and the Batkid was hailed as a hero. Miles was presented with the key to the city by Mayor Lee in front of the crowd of thousands gathered in the Civic Center Plaza.

“It was moving. That many people coming out for one five-year-old…it says a lot about how good people are,” sophomore Patrick Cairns said.

Miles, who was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 18 months old, is currently in remission. While on stage with Mayor Lee, the five-year-old held up his arm in triumph. For him, he was celebrating the victory over crime — but to the crowd, it was a symbol of his triumph over the deadly disease.

“Those people didn’t just come out for Miles; they came out for everyone who has leukemia, you know? If it had been another kid, even one who wasn’t as cute, they still would have come out,” Cairns said.

The event, which has been in the works since March, was never intended to get as big as it did. Miles’ story went viral on social media, inspiring people around the world to comment, share, and re-post. The hashtag #SFBatKid was rampant on Twitter, and even President Obama joined in to congratulate the Batkid via video after he saved Gotham: “Way to go, Miles; way to save Gotham.”